Last Word

The last several months have been a time of growth at the Smith School. As you’ve read in this issue of Smith Business, we launched our first online MBA degree program, increased our diversity efforts through the LEAD Institute and took our Cupid’s Cup Business Competition national.

I have also stepped into my role as dean of the Smith School. It is an exciting new challenge for me.

A dean is like the CEO of a midsize company — or, if you consider us in the context of the university, a division of a large corporation. I will be responsible for setting the school’s strategy, managing its human capital, ensuring its financial stability, and setting the foundation for its future prosperity. My charge is to set priorities and identify initiatives to advance our contributions to teaching and research and look for ways in which the energy and expertise of our faculty and students can help the university and the state of Maryland grow and thrive.

The Smith School, like most top business schools, has a broad portfolio of programs (and revenue sources). Smith is a large and complex organization that is very much subject to market forces. We have 5,000 students across five campuses — here in College Park, but also in downtown Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Md., Shady Grove, Md., and Beijing, China. To serve the needs of all of those students, Smith has 200 faculty and 155 staff members. Ongoing leadership and oversight of day-to-day operations are shared by a dynamic senior leadership team. I have been so impressed with their commitment and dedication.

I look forward to working with Smith faculty and staff, most of whom I know well. I also look forward to reconnecting with some of the 3,000 Smith alumni I have taught over the past 18 years, and meeting many more.

As always, thanks for all you do to support, strengthen and give back to the Smith School. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Best,

Alex Triantis

Dean, Robert H. Smith School of Business